Semiconductor bodies that have an integrated circuit are subjected to environmental influences. Lightning, static charges, and electromagnetic pollution can lead to electrostatic discharges, abbreviated ESD, on the semiconductor body through which an integrated circuit can be destroyed. Typically, the structures which are to be protected are connected via a diode to a reference potential terminal, so that an undesired and destructive charge can be discharged.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 6,118,154 relates to an input/output protective circuit. The protective circuit comprises a p-channel and an n-channel metal oxide semiconductor transistor. The potentials of the gate electrodes of both transistors are floating.
In the documents WO 2007/084688 A1 and US 2005/0121725 A1, other protective structures are described.